By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor
If your initial though after the Philadelphia Eagles traded Sam Bradford the Minnesota Vikings Saturday was that the team needed to sign a veteran backup to stand behind Chase Daniel to open the season, you were like myself and many who cover and write about the team. It appears you may also have been incorrect in that thought process.
A source close to the Eagles confirmed to Eagledelphia.com Saturday that the Eagles do plan to start No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz when at CT scan shows that he has recovered from a hairline fracture to his ribs that he suffered in Week one of the preseason. That could mean that Wentz will start as early as the Eagles Week one game against the Cleveland Browns, which will take place next Sunday.
The source noted that head coach Doug Pederson made some in the organization aware of his intention to start Wentz, when healthy, Friday evening. That would seem to suggest that the Eagles were expecting the Bradford deal to be completed, opening the door for Wentz. It would also seem to suggest that the brain-trust of the organization (Howie Roseman, Jeffrey Lurie, Joe Douglas and Pederson) were all in agreement on Wentz being ready to play.
Adam Caplan of ESPN, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network and Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports all have reported on this story as well. Garafolo noted that Daniel, who followed Pederson to Philadelphia, is 'not happy' with this decision to have Wentz leapfrog him on the depth chart.
The Eagles acquired the No. 2 overall pick from the Cleveland Browns this off-season, sending the No. 8 overall pick, a 2016 third and fourth, 2017's first round pick and a second round pick in 2018. With the No. 2 overall pick, which they drafted Wentz with, the team also acquired a conditional fifth round pick in 2017.